An adolescent client reports to the nurse of walking with a limp due to pain localized in the right knee which worsens at night but denies any recent injury or trauma. The nurse observes swelling and tenderness in the right lower thigh, and imaging results reveal radial ossification in the soft tissues.
Which condition should the nurse consider as the probable cause of the findings?
Osteosarcoma
Growing pains
Rhabdomyolysis
Hemosiderosis
The Correct Answer is A
The adolescent client's symptoms of localized pain, swelling, and tenderness, particularly at night, are suggestive of a malignancy such as osteosarcoma, which is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents.
Radial ossification in the soft tissues is a characteristic finding in osteosarcoma and is indicative of bone production by malignant cells. Other imaging modalities, such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may also reveal osteolytic or osteoblastic lesions in the bone.
Growing pains are a common, benign condition that occur in children and do not typically present with the
symptoms described in the case scenario.
Rhabdomyolysis is a medical emergency that involves the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue and release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream. It can present with muscle pain, swelling, and tenderness, but typically occurs as a result of injury, infection, or drug toxicity.
Hemosiderosis is a rare condition characterized by the accumulation of iron in various tissues, including the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It may present with symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, and abdominal pain, but is not typically associated with the symptoms and imaging findings described in the case scenario.
Therefore, the nurse should consider osteosarcoma as the probable cause of the adolescent client's symptoms and imaging findings, and should collaborate with the healthcare team to develop a plan of care for diagnosis and treatment.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Albuterol is a beta-adrenergic agonist agent that is used to open the airways in people with bronchial asthma. The mother's use of this medication to open her son's airway when he is having trouble breathing is appropriate. Overuse of the drug may cause side effects, but it does not cause chronic bronchitis (A)
Albuterol helps to relax the muscles in the airways, but it does not reduce airway inflammation (C)There is no indication that the child needs immediate evaluation (D)
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
The absence of continuous headaches in the child indicates that the VP shunt is functioning normally. A VP shunt is used to treat hydrocephalus by draining excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain to the abdomen. If the shunt is functioning properly, it should relieve pressure on the brain and reduce symptoms such as headaches. The other options (A, B, and C) do not directly indicate whether the shunt is functioning normally or not.
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